Are Basil Plants Poisonous To Cats?

Basil and most other culinary herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, cilantro, parsley and mint, will not harm your cats. Protect all your pets by determining the toxicity of all your house, garden and landscaping plants before planting. Check with your veterinarian or consult the ASPCA's list on Toxic and Non-Toxic plants.

Many cats munch on greens, even though they are considered carnivores. Finding a plant that repels cats might require some experimentation. Rue, lavender and pennyroyal are plants that cats typically don't like because of their odor, but cats are unpredictable creatures and not every cat will react the same. Utah's Best Friends Animal Society also recommends the plant Coleus canina, which is also known as a "scaredy cat plant." Thorny roses can also be unappealing to cats. In addition to plants that cats dislike, some plants are actually poisonous to them. Some common culprits are rhododendron, azalea, mushrooms, sago palm, buttercup, daffodil and hyacinth. Plant a small area with catnip or cat grass to attract cats to a particular spot and hopefully distract them from the other plants in the area.